So here’s the thing. Last week my son had the flu and this week I have it (he was so nice to share with me wasn’t he?).

You just never know when life is going to throw you a curveball.

So as you can imagine my daily maintenance, including my 10 minute tidy each night, has been a bit sporadic these last couple of days. I could be beating myself up about it as clutter starts to invade surfaces around me but I won’t. The reason I won’t is because when I’m not in the middle of a curveball I’m pretty diligent about staying on top of things, even when I don’t feel like it. This means that when this sickness finally leaves our house it won’t take me forever to get it back into shape. It won’t have created a pit that seems impossible to climb out of. Whew!

Life isn’t always predictable.

Daily maintenance is so important. Small chunks of daily time staying on top of the clutter means less time and frustration in the long run. It is so worth it, even when it’s the last thing you want to do. Now it’s become such a habit for me, and the benefits are so rewarding, I don’t even have to think about it most days. Small daily habits like never leaving a room empty handed are also big contributors to the daily maintenance. That one is so automatic for me now that I find myself still doing it even while I’m sick.

So I hope you follow the links in blue above for further details on these very important habits. For me, it’s back to bed I go. But don’t think you are off the hook this week, not a chance!

Tell me what got crossed off your list this past week, what you are hoping to cross off your list next week and what one habit you are going to put into place to ensure your newly organized spaces will be maintained.

Please feel free to share your organizing journey and encourage one another in the comments. You are also invited to link up to the linky below with any posts related to your 52 weeks of organizing participation or to a post of an organizing nature that you feel will help and encourage others in their quest to get organized. Please remember to link back to here though so we can reach out to as many people as possible in need of some inspiration.

One other thing to consider: by including your link below you, you are giving me permission to use parts of your post including pictures as a spotlight in future 52 Weeks of Organizing posts. Proper credit and links will of course be provided. If you are not okay with this please do not link up. Thanks!

Comments

Crossed off organizing all of our winter gear now that spring has arrived. I won’t have to think about it for quite a few months now! I’d like to declutter and organize under my bathroom sink next week. Could be scary….

It has felt so good the past couple of weeks to focus organizing frequently used spaces, because I get to enjoy my work much more often! Some of my next projects will include the kids’ art space, and then the game closet. I can’t wait – though I am just letting myself do one big thing a week, so life doesn’t get out of balance on my pursuit of total organization!

This week I did below my bathroom vanity. To help keep it clean and organized, I think I’ll vacuum the drawers as part of my weekly cleaning of the bathroom, because the hair pile-up was a bit gross!

I’m really enjoying walking from one end of room to the other without having to use tactical maneuvers and opening cabinets without fearing an avalanche. I’ll be with you ’til the end. I am loving this.

I crossed off the pile of junk that was hidden behind my desk this week. Next week I’m going to tackle a large job – my craft area and supplies. This will have to be broken down into many weeks because I have a lot of stuff. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to break it into smaller, manageable steps.

Maintenance is the most difficult thing for me, but as I’ve worked so hard to change in the last year and a half, I have developed those habits I need, and that’s what makes ALL the difference in my home.

My goal for the week (a week that will end with a birthday party in our home) is to complete my daily checklist each day and my weekly cleaning tasks on schedule so that I won’t have to scramble to clean before the party.

I have been enjoying doing little things. It is so much easier to do a little at a time! This week I did T3’s clothes, got rid of the things that don’t fit anymore and threw out socks without partners.

This week I have found somewhere move in to that I absolutely love. Here’s hoping they accept the application and chubby dog! Next week, I hope to cross off my “get rid of 50 items” goal. The habit I have instated for previously organized spaces is printing out pictures of my success. I can then hold up a picture to the way the space appears and see what is not in it’s home. Working great so far!

I can’t believe twelve weeks have past and I am just on the brink of decluttering!!! If I didn’t have a 52 mindset I would have expected to have gone through the entire house by now… but I am just finding my rhythm!!! There are lots of little pockets to attend to – I really want to cover everything – This is the year!!!
Meanwhile, I have to start decluttering my computer – seriously, it is worse than any lurking spot in the house and if there was a dust bunny for every unwanted file on my laptop then I would have to move continent on account of the size of the warren!!!
I have an iphoto question… hopefully someone out there uses iphoto… I explain more in my link-up, but what I need is a way to see keywords – you used to be able to but then they upgraded it… basically I want to skim through and delete most of my photographs that don’t have keywords. Can anyone help me???